August 27, 2008

Lake Oswego Dock Construction Delayed By Environmental Lawsuit

A lawsuit has been filed against the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for approving construction of a Lake Oswego dock that could possibly endanger fish.

The Northwest Environmental Defense Center, a nonprofit advocacy group based at Lewis & Clark College, said that the two federal agencies violated federal laws meant to protect endangered species when they approved the public dock, which was scheduled to be built by the city of Lake Oswego in Foothills Park this fall. The lawsuit claims the agencies used outdated information -- a biological opinion from 2004 -- to show the dock would not endanger the habitat for local fish.

NEDC is asking a federal judge to throw out the 2004 biological opinion that allowed construction of the dock and to halt construction of the dock if work begins without further exploration of fish impacts.